retiredteacher09

Like several of you, I accept the donation and then sort through it at home. I volunteer with two groups plus I know a lady that uses the non backed upholstery material for charity bags. If it's not useable, I put it in one of the USAgain boxes in the area. They also accept scraps that we don't use.

Maire

I also take what is offered with sincere thanks, people know I do a lot of charity sewing, even a local sewing machine shop gives out my name when they are asked where can they donate fabrics, most of the time it is from a deceased family member or a family member moved into a nursing home and those donating are doing it out of goodness & respect for their family member.
I sort thru it, keep what I can use, pass the rest on to various sewing groups, there is even a local church group that will take anything-they make sleeping bags for the homeless & use all the fabrics to stuff inside for more warmth.
And yes, there have been a few times, very few, when I have just thrown it away because it was in such bad shape that it could not be made usable.

wildyard

I am also in the group whose acceptance speech includes the comment that I will keep what I can use and pass on the rest to places where it can best be useful. This way there is no misunderstanding the fact of me not keeping all of it.

Sewnoma

I just talk to the donator and find out what they expect and work it from there.

A coworker friend of mine's mother just passed away and her mom was a garment sewer and had tons of stuff to be gotten rid of. My coworker kept her Mom's machine but was getting rid of everything else and offered it to me. I took a look and told her honestly that as a quilter I had not a lot of use for her her mom's huge stash of bias tapes and knit fabrics, etc. but I would be willing to take it off her hands, pull what I wanted, and donate the rest on her behalf to a local fabric second-hand shop that benefits the local senior center. She didn't want to do that, she preferred have the stuff go to people she knows, so I helped her figure out what she had and who else at work was a sewer and almost everything was claimed that way instead. I felt good about that!

Another garment-sewing coworker was moving out of the country and had a modest stash - she was perfectly happy to let me take everything, keep what I wanted and donate the rest. She regarded me taking it all as a favor - one less thing for her to hassle with. (I ended up keeping most of her stash - it was pretty small and she had a lot of good quilting cottons that suited my style.)

Latrinka

I usually accept it, thank them, and tell them I will go through it, keep what I think I'll use, pass the rest on unless they want it back.

oklahomamom2

I would have to say 1) because I try to be nice and not decline something I might be able to use later. Like recently I was mailed some scraps that I wouldn't normally need but since it was a lady that really that new fairly well that gave them to me I thought it was nice for her to give me. I have always wanted to make a scrappy quilt so It helped me with my stash.

quiltingcandy

I used to accept donations from friends that sewed clothes. But after I went thru the last 2 batches and found that I kept maybe 1/3 decided it was best to decline in the future. Most people that know me, know that I have a fairly good sized stash and have been giving away to anyone that needs something, so don't get insulted when I decline. My SIL though works selling upholstery/home decor fabrics. They have very large fabric books and should would bring me the ones when the new ones would come in. They took up a lot of space and the fabrics weren't anything I worked with. Once I used them to make a fabric cover for my quilting hoop. She was upset I didn't use it for something more creative. So told her the fabrics just weren't something I use and they should just donate them to a thrift store where people look to find such treasures. Sometimes it islets to be honest, not rude, just honest and then the person donating can decide if they want to find a better place to donate their scraps.

judee0624

I have accepted all gifted "donations" because I feel like I am helping someone clear out their stash and also because I can often make use of the "stuff." If not, I donate it to my guild where we have a resale table that raises funds for the guild. Someone's trash is someone else's treasure.

sewbeeit42

I usually take it all as my small quilt group uses everything to make quilts for the homeless and dog beds. We even save our tiny scraps of fabric, thread and yarn to fill dog beds. Nothing is wasted in our group.

GailG

I agree. Most of these "donations" are given with good intentions. I do the same....look through for what I could/would use and then donate remaining to charity projects.